The present invention relates to clothing intended to be worn primarily by children, which integrates a toy animal, such as a soft sculpture animal doll, with a design on the clothing that depicts that animal's habitat. The toy animal and the habitat design are interrelated so that the child can integrate the toy animal into the habitat design.
It is contemplated, for example, that the habitat design be related to a pocket in the clothing, so that the pocket might embody the home of the animal, and thereby permit the child to place the toy animal in the pocket, and in so doing, participate in the animal's habitat. Alternatively, or in addition, the animal may carry a Velcro patch or other fastener, or the like, and mating Velcro patches or fastening means may be strategically positioned on the habitat design. The term "Velcro" is a trademark for a form of hook and loop fastener. Again, by positioning the toy animal on one of the Velcro patches, and perhaps by moving the toy animal from one patch to another, the child participates in the animal's habitat.
The purpose of this invention is, of course, to provide amusement for small children. But in addition, the intent is at the same time to teach children about animals and their habitats, to involve the youngsters with the animal in its habitat, and thereby to raise the level of consciousness about the environment.
For example, a T-shirt (or any other type of shirt or blouse) with a pocket, may have a hollow tree stump and appropriate flora silk screened, stencilled, photolithographed, printed or otherwise applied over the pocket and its surrounding area. The tree stump is located so that the opening of the pocket becomes the open hollow of the tree stump, and a separate squirrel or chipmunk in soft sculpture form may be placed in the pocket. Thus, when the child places the animal in the pocket and removes it, the child participates in placing the animal in its home, and emerging therefrom.
In a more elaborate approach, a tree trunk and several boughs may be depicted over the front of a shirt or blouse, with a hollow opening into the trunk being depicted over the pocket. One bough might extend across the shoulder. Velcro patches or areas can be located at various appropriate locations, so that, for example, a soft sculpture owl or other bird with a Velcro patch might perch on the bough on the wearer's shoulder, and a soft sculpture squirrel with a Velcro patch may be active on another bough. A woodpecker soft sculpture might make its home in the hollow opening of the trunk by being placed in the pocket. Of course, the woodpecker, too, could have a Velcro patch so as to emerge from the pocket and be placed on the outside of the tree trunk in wood pecking position.
Obviously, innumerable combinations can be imagined, using various animals and various appropriate habitat designs. Certainly, the concept is not limited to a shirt or blouse, but is equally applicable to other items of clothing. Also, it is quite apparent that a water habitat could also be depicted, with fish, turtles, frogs and other forms of aquatic life. For example, a lily pad cluster could be designed about a thigh pocket on pants, with one lily leaf forming an actual flap over the pocket. A frog or other aquatic life could reside in the pocket, and again, by the use of Velcro, the frog could be removed from the pocket and perched on the lily pad flap. Waterfall or rapids could be designed over a pocket, and a salmon could emerge swimming up the rapids.
The incorporation of soft sculpture toys in clothing pockets is disclosed in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,452 fits a small doll in a blouse pocket, and the pocket is provided with holes to receive t he doll's legs, and snaps to affix the doll's arms. U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,881 fits a small teddy bear in a blouse or shirt pocket having holes to receive the four legs of the toy animal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,387 decorates a blouse with doll representations, and articles of clothing can be selectively applied by Velcro attachment. Of course, the decoration of T-shirts and other clothing by applying scenes of all sorts is commonplace. Several other U.S. patents of general interest are:
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 154,254 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. Des. 154,465 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. Des. 169,964 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,149 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,987 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,218 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,033 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,259
None of this prior art combines the feature of a toy animal doll integrated with a depiction on clothing of the habitat for that animal, so that a child can become involved with the animal in its habitat on the child's clothing.
It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide an article of clothing, such as a shirt, blouse, pants, jacket or skirt that integrates a removable toy animal doll and a design on the clothing that represents a habitat for the animal, whereby a child may become involved with the animal in its habitat.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such an article of clothing and toy doll which incorporates a pocket from the clothing in the habitat design, so as to receive the doll on the habitat.
A further object of the invention is to provide such an article of clothing and toy doll wherein the doll and habitat representation include Velcro or other fastening means to position the doll on the design.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the detailed descriptions of several illustrative embodiments of the invention which are had in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.